Tokyo [Japan], December 10: A powerful quake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck northeastern Japan late Monday night, injuring 30 people and triggering tsunami waves as high as 70 centimetres that reached the Pacific coast, the Japanese government said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake, which occurred at 11:15 pm off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture at a depth of 54 kilometres, could be followed by a temblor of similar or higher magnitude in the same area in the coming days.
It is the first time the agency has issued such an alert for the coastal regions of Hokkaido and the Sanriku coast, which extends from Aomori through Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, Kyodo News reported.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called on people in the region to remain alert for information from local governments and the weather agency over the next week or so and to prepare for another possible quake, including by securing furniture.
"The government asks residents to continue social and economic activities while maintaining a readiness to evacuate immediately if any shaking is felt," Takaichi told reporters Tuesday at her office in Tokyo.
The injuries were reported in Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido.
The quake occurred in an area along a trench running off the coast of Hokkaido and northeastern Japan, where major quakes can be triggered as the Pacific plate subducts beneath the Honshu main island, according to the agency.
The agency, which revised the magnitude from an earlier reported 7.6, warned of a tsunami of up to 3 metres following the quake. The highest tsunami waves observed were 70 cm in Iwate.
Source: Emirates News Agency
